Down in the Blue Oak Woodlands!

Acorn Woodpecker Granary

Since the weather had been sunny and warm, my friend Nancy and I decided to drive down to the Blue Oak woodlands in the Spenceville Wildlife Preserve.  One of the first wonders we came across was a granary filled-to-the-brim with acorns!!! We had never seen one so full of acorns before! Most of the granaries we have seen in the past were empty, or only had a few acorns in them. This one was packed with them!

Acorns are the main food that Acorn Woodpeckers depend upon in winter. They store acorns by drilling holes in dead tree trunks and putting an acorn in each hole! These acorn filled trunks are called "granaries". Granaries have been known to contain up to 50,000 acorns!

The Cornell website http://birdsoftheworld.org states; "Like several other species in the genus Melanerpes, this woodpecker is a cooperative breeder and lives in family groups of up to a dozen or more individuals. Birds in social units store acorns communally and cooperatively raise young. Although acorns constitute a major portion of the diet, particularly during the winter, this species also engages in a wide variety of other foraging techniques including flycatching, bark-gleaning, seed-eating, and sapsucking."

Acorn Woodpecker (female) - Melanerpes formicivorus

This year was a "bumper crop" year for acorns. There were thousands of them on the ground under the oaks.  In fact, Acorn Woodpeckers prefer to eat flying insects rather than acorns. They store acorns in granaries in case insects become scarce. Male Acorn Woodpeckers also have a red patch on their heads, but it is larger than the female patch and more of a "crown".

Lewis's Woodpecker (adult) - Melanerpes lewis

 

Another woodpecker species that is a winter resident in the Spenceville Wildlife Preserve is the Lewis's Woodpecker. We had our fingers crossed that we would see some, and we lucked out!  In one particular area near a pond, we saw about 7-9 of them flying and perching! What a delight it was to see these beautiful red-faced, magenta-bellied woodpeckers!

 

These birds are unique in several ways. Unlike most woodpeckers, Lewis's Woodpeckers do not drill holes in tree trunks looking for insects. They mainly catch insects in the air during the summer. They will however, glean insects from tree trunks and branches year-round. Fruits and berries are also eaten in season. In the winter, when flying insects are scarce, they mainly eat acorns, nuts, and corn. They usually harvest acorns off the trees, rather than off the ground. They will hammer an acorn open and then store individual pieces (rather than the whole acorn) in the natural crevices of tree trunks. Acorns and nuts are also stored for consumption in winter. These winter caches are vigorously defended!

Lewis's Woodpecker - Melanerpes lewis

They are relatively uncommon in our foothill area, and are not predictably present in winter. In California, they usually nest in the interior coastal range, or the lower eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. Outside of California they breed across Idaho, Montana, Colorado and up into Canada. How lucky we were to see these unusual, beautiful woodpeckers!

Blue Oak Woodland

Rolling hills filled with Blue Oaks define Spenceville. Right now it is greening up and about half of the oaks are leafing out. Such beauty! We heard lots of songbirds while we hiked through the preserve. Here are a few that I was able to photograph!

White-breasted Nuthatch - Bushtit

Sitta carolinensis  - Psaltriparus minimus

We kept hearing a loud repeated call and finally figured out it was the White-breasted Nuthatches! Like the Red-breasted Nuthatches in our area, these little birds climb up and down the trunks and branches of trees, gleaning insects from the surface and crevices. They will also eat acorns, by wedging them into a tree crevice and then hammering them to open them up! They usually reside in the foothills year-round.

White-crowned Sparrow - Bewick's Wren

 Zonotrichia leucophrys - Thryomanes bewickii

Bewick's Wrens can usually be found in dense, brushy thickets, foraging on the ground in search of arthropods and their larvae. We heard their lovely trilling calls throughout the day. They usually live year-round in the foothills.

Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos

Though not numerous, we saw and heard several Northern Mockingbirds in the Preserve. They are commonly seen in the Central Valley and foothills. Their name means "many tongues" as they are proficient mimics! During a lifetime, a Northern Mockingbird may learn up to 150 songs! They will mimic other birds, as well as cats, dogs, crickets, squeaky gates, toad, and frogs! In winter they mainly eat wild berries and fruit, such as rose hips. The rest of the year, they mainly eat arthropods (insects, spiders, crustaceans).

Horseshoe Pond

We ate our lunch at Horseshoe Pond, in the shade of the trees. It was so peaceful! It was in this area that we saw the Lewis's Woodpeckers! We also saw a large group of ducks that took off too quickly to photograph or identify, as well as a pair of Mallards! 

Mallards (female - male) - Annas platyrhynchos

It was amazing how camouflaged the female Mallard was against the dry tules!

Miner's Lettuce - Western Buttercups

Claytonia perfoliata - Ranunculus occidentalus 

We did see a few wildflowers in bloom. Except for the Buttercups, they were very tiny flowers. For the most part, it was mainly green grasses covering the ground.

Persian Speedwell - Shepherd's Purse

Veronica persica - Capsella bursa-pastoris

 

View of the Sutter Buttes

 Spenceville is an 11,213 acre wildlife preserve and recreation area run by the California State Department of Fish and Game, at approximately 338' in elevation. There are several different parcels within the preserve.

The Friends of Spenceville website, spenceville.org, states, "It is a place of gentle rolling hills and large, sheltering oaks that spread their branches over trails that meander across creeks and through grassy meadows of spring wildflowers. When March arrives, poppies, lupines, lilies and other wildflowers spread their color and fragrance over the hillsides and through riparian woodlands that provide habitat for many animals." 

We'll have to go back again in a few weeks for the wildflower bloom!

Whiteleaf Manzanita - Arctostaphylos viscida

Neighborhood News: 

Early Bloomers!!!

Every year the Manzanitas bloom in February/March in this one area along Highway 49, near my neighborhood. I was delighted to see the blossoms as well as a hummingbird, honey bees, bumblebees, tiny unknown native bees, and Robber Flies all feeding on the flowers!

Greenleaf Manzanita - Whiteleaf Manzanita

Arctostaphylos patula - Arctostaphylos viscida

Alder and Willow in bud

Alnus incana - Salix sp.

The Willows and Alders are once again in bloom! The male and female pussy willows, and the long male catkins of the alders add subtle beauty and color to the gray, late winter vegetation.

 Townsend's Warbler - Red-breasted Nuthatch  

Dendroica townsendii - Sitta canadensis

Surprising Sightings!!!

To my delight I saw a small flock of Townsend's Warblers this week, in our area!  I had never seen one before!  Apparently they only pass through the Sierras on the way to their breeding grounds in western Canada and southern Alaska. How cool!

I also saw a small flock of Red-breasted Sapsuckers nearby! They don't nest in our area, but do nest up in the Lakes Basin. They are small in size, approximately 5" in length, with wingspans of approximately 8". While searching for insects, the Red-breasted Nuthatch climbs, up, down and sideways on tree trunks.

American Dipper nest 2/21/25 and 2/22/25 - Cinclus mexicanus

To my complete surprise, the American  Dippers are already building their nest! In the past they've built their nest, in this same spot, near the end of March or beginning of April!

American Dipper nest with Dipper!  2/24/25 

I'll keep watching them and report back to you how this early nesting progresses!

California Tortoiseshell - Nymphalis californica

Since the weather was in the 60's these past two weeks, insects have become active. Most notably are the California Tortoiseshell Butterflies! These butterflies overwinter as adults and are ready to fly as soon as the temperature is right.

The group in the above photo are "puddling". Puddling is a behavior many butterflies (and a few moths) engage in. Puddling sites can be any of a number of places: mud, dung, fermenting fruit, carrion, urine. Butterflies are attracted to these sites because they can sip up the salt (sodium) and minerals found there.

Orbweaver Spider web

Additionally, there were lots of spider webs showing up in the vegetation!

Sierra Buttes  2/22/25

We drove up to see the Sierra Buttes last Sunday, since the roads were bare. There was only about 4-5" of patchy snow at the 5,500' elevation. The Sierra Buttes were much snowier, at 7,000'-8,000' in elevation. Yuba Pass at 6,709' in elevation had approximately 5' of snow on the ground. So not as much as we would like for a snowpack, but winter isn't over yet. In fact, this week the forecast is for more rain and snow!

Where are the mammals?

What will the weather bring?

Check back in two weeks for the answers to these questions and more!

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog every TWO weeks from now on. Check back in two weeks, on March, 16th for my next natural history blog.

Also, check out my latest post on my newly re-opened Damp Earth Blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com

19.52" of Rain in Two Weeks!

Rock Creek high water

Three separate "atmospheric rivers", in the past two weeks, brought 19.52" of rain to our area! This brings us to a water-year total of 51.02"!!! The river was running high and fast, at 9,000 cfs (cubic feet per second), with a gauge height of 12'!!! We didn't get any snow at all, as the snow level was up around 6,000' to 7,000' in elevation.

The creek behind our house was a blurred torrent of crashing water for days, and so was the river! At first they were so full of sediment that I named them the "Mocha Expresses". Now they have slowed down and their clarity has been restored. Needless to say I didn't get outside with my camera very much! 

Sharp-shinned Hawk (juvenile)- Accipiter striatus

We had periodic breaks when the sun came out, and I was able to wander about for a while. One morning, during a brief break in the rain, I spotted a bedraggled Sharp-shinned Hawk trying to dry out its feathers in the thin sunlight. Unfortunately it started raining soon after I spotted it, and it took off. The following day was sunny and cool, but at least no rain. Hopefully it was able to dry off! 

This is the first Sharp-shinned Hawk I've seen this year! One used to perch on the dead top of an alder tree near our garden, and I would often see it there. Unfortunately the top of the alder broke off last winter and the Sharp-shinned Hawk has been absent. They are the smallest hawk in the US and Canada, measuring 11' in length with a wingspan of 23". They are forest predators, like the Northern Goshawk. 

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology states, "These raptors have distinctive proportions: long legs, short wings, and very long tails, which they use for navigating their deep-woods homes at top speed in pursuit of songbirds and mice." 

 They use surprise attack as their main method of capture. They will eat birds as small as an Anna's Hummingbird, or as large as a Mountain Quail! They will pluck off most of the feathers of their prey before they eat them! They are common visitors to our area in winter and occasionally breed here. I hope to see it again in the near future!

North Yuba River in HIGH water

The North Yuba River was also way wider with the increased amount of rainfall!

Common Goldeneyes (4 females, 2 males) - Bucephala clangula

When the river was ripping along I didn't see any ducks. However, when it calmed down they reappeared. The only ducks on the river right now are these lovely Common Goldeneye Ducks, already in their mating colors.

Common Goldeneyes (1 female, 4 males) - Bucephala clangula 

One afternoon, the angled winter light illuminated the iridescent green feathers on the heads of the male ducks. Such beauty!

Convergent Ladybird Beetles - Hippodamia convergense

In the Forest

This winter, my husband and I have been driving a few miles from our home to a sunnier spot to hike. It is surprising how the forest differs from our neighborhood!  It has lots of Madrones, Live Oaks, Ponderosa Pines, and Douglas Firs. There is a beautiful view of the river there, where we often picnic in the sun!  This week we came across some active Ladybird Beetles, that were busy mating.  You can see the mating ones in the photo above. Just look for two or three beetles on top of each other! 

Here's a video with several pairs of mating Ladybird Beetles!

Winter Russula - Russula cremoricolor

In one area we found about ten of these Winter Russula mushrooms!  Their bright pinkish-red caps make them easy to spot. I'm surprised how quickly they have sprouted since the rain!

Wikipedia states; "Russula cremoricolor, also known as the winter russula, is a species of gilled mushroom.This mushroom has red, cream-yellow, and pink color variants, which complicates attempts at field identification, although finding "red and creamy capped fruitbodies in close proximity is a good clue indicating this species". The winter russula is "mildly toxic,"and causes intestinal distress even when consumed in small amounts. The red morph was previously identified as Russula silvicolor,but was found to be genetically identical to the cream-colored individuals called R. cremoricolor. The red morph is superficially similar to Russula californiensis but R. cremicolor has a much sharper, peppier taste, likes to associate with mixed forest or tanoak rather than pine, and keeps its gills and stipe white even in age."

Bushtit - Psaltriparus minimus

There were lots of little birds flitting around in the bushes. They were hard to identify or photograph because they kept moving around, resting a second or less in one spot. Later on we got a clear view of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet as well as a male (females have a white eye-ring) Bushtit! Both of these tiny (4.5" in length) birds glean spiders, insects, and their eggs, from the branches and leaves of plants.

Bushtits live year-round in California. Most of the year they live in flocks of 10-40 birds. In the end of February to early March, they pair off to breed and build their nest. It will take both the male and the female a month or more to build their amazing, 6"-12", sock-like nest of spider webs and plant material! I've seen these nests in museums, but never in the wild. It would be fabulous to find one! They female lays 4-10 eggs in the nest, and may have two broods in a season. Interestingly, adult male offspring help the mated pair raise their young! Also, incredibly the whole family sleep together in the sock-like nest!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Corthylio calendula

Ruby-crowned Kinglets are named for the bright scarlett "crown patch" the male exhibits when excited or antagonized. Most of the time the crown isn't visible. These tiny birds mainly inhabit the snow-free foothills during winter, but move up to the Lodgepole/Hemlock forests to breed, around 9000' in elevation. I've seen these little birds all winter in my neighborhood this year. Their fluffy, thick plumage keeps them warm at night.

This week the forecast is for showers, clouds, and even some sunny days! Yay! It will be a nice break from the pouring rain!

Where are the mammals?

What plants are blooming?

What insects are out and about?

Check back in two weeks for the answers to these questions and more!

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog every TWO weeks from now on. Check back in two weeks, on March, 1st for my next natural history blog.

Also, check out my latest post on my newly re-opened Damp Earth Blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com

Three Beautiful Short Hikes!

The past month of January was unusually sunny, with no rain or snow. To take advantage of the snow-free roads and warm days, my husband and I decided to hike down in the foothills, at the Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area. It is approx-imately 7,000 acres of rolling hills covered with blue and live oak, gray pine, and thick brush. There are four units and the approximate acreages are: Daugherty Hill (3,200 acres), Donovan Hill (1,800 acres), Quail Valley (1,300 acres), and Darby Road (700 acres). It is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

All of the units in the Daugherty Hill Complex were private ranches at one time. Through an arrangement with the Calif. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, the land has become a nature preserve, but the cows are still allowed to graze. The following excerpt from ANR Publication 8517 at the University of Calif. Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (located at http://anrcatalog.usan.edu) discusses the reasons why they have allowed the stock to remain.

"Because livestock grazing (primarily by cattle) can effectively reduce the biomass, height and thatch accumulation produced by non-native plants, it has become and essential tool for managing California's grasslands. Grazing has been shown to benefit California's annual grasslands in many ways - by reducing the risk of a catastrophic wildfire, maintaining and enhancing habitat for many native grassland plants and animals, and maintaining the open character of our iconic grasslands and oak savannas. Grazing can be managed to targets specific habitats, pest plants, fire hazards, and encroaching shrubs."

California Oak Gall - Andricus quercuscalifornicus

We saw these California Oak Galls on LOTS of the oak trees. The galls and the wasps that form them, cause no harm to the trees. In fact they provide food for birds, as evidenced by the one in the above left photo, that had been excavated by a woodpecker.

Golden-crowned Sparrow - Oak Titmouse

Baeolophus inornatus - Zonotrichia atricapilla

We saw a good variety of songbirds while we were there! I've written about all of them in past blogs. Just use the "search this blog" bar on the top right of my home page for more information about any species featured in this blog.

Western Bluebirds (male) - Acorn Woodpecker (female)

Sialia mexicana - Melanerpes formicivorus

Western Bluebirds and Acorn Woodpeckers are a familiar sight in the foothills. year-round.

White-crowned Sparrow - Hermit Thrush

Zonotrichia leucophrys - Catharus guttatus

I lucked out and saw a Hermit Thrush in the bushes on the edge of the road! The following information about them is from the Cornell website, birdsoftheworld.org.

"With spotted breast and reddish tail, the Hermit Thrush lives up to its name. Although celebrated for its ethereal song, it is mostly a quiet and unobtrusive bird that spends much of its time in the lower branches of the undergrowth or on the forest floor, often seen flicking its wings while perched and quickly raising and slowly lowering its tail. 

[They eat] insects, other small invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles; fruits consumed from variety of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.

They spend their winters in the western and/or southern parts of the U.S., as well as in Mexico. They breed mainly up in the lower half of Canada!  I found this fascinating information about their migratory strategies on birdsoftheworld.org!

"Based on 35 yrs of data, Cochran and Wikeleski (2005) describe the decision-making process of Hermit Thrush and other Catharus migrating though the midwestern U.S. using the following 6 “rules of thumb:”

"1. Stop over and forage until fat levels are above a score of 1 (body mass ≥ 32 g); in stopover habitat, establish small (~100 m radius) foraging area.

2. Migrate at night when maximum daily air temperature is ≥21° C and wind at takeoff is <10 km/h, regardless of wind direction.

3. Calibrate magnetic compass every clear afternoon or at dusk against sunset direction or overhead polarized sky light.

4. Keep constant magnetic heading during entire migration; but if there is a lightning storm then fly toward it, even if it means reversing direction.

5. Stop flying when body mass is back to level of previous morning or when the sun rises; land in a wooded stopover habitat with water.

6. Once specific latitude is reached, switch from northward migration to east or west exploratory flights to find breeding habitat."

Black Oak in Winter

The fillagree of leafless, lichen-covered branches of the Black Oaks create a hazy or mist-like quality in the tree crowns. This is especially evident when the tree is backlit, as in the above photo. Such beauty!

Since the weather was so mild, my friends Rod and Rochelle, and I, decided to go down to Gray Lodge once again!  Yay!!!  I always get so excited when I'm going to Gray Lodge! I just love it there.  It is quite a wetlands, with lots of tule lined "lakes", ponds, and canals. One of the main aquatic plants that can be seen floating in the wetlands is the non-native "Water Fern"(Azolla filiculoides), a species of aquatic fern native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Americas. It created quite a color-contrast with the reflection of the blue sky on the water!

Western Pond Turtle - Actinemys marmorata

On our walk through the wetlands, we were thrilled to see a native Western Pond Turtle basking in the sun!!! I have only seen one of these before. The non-native/invasive Red-Slider Turtles are the ones I usually see. The following information about Western Pond Turtles is from the inaturalist.org website.

"The western pond turtle occurs in both permanent and intermittent waters, including marshes, streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. It favors habitats with large numbers of emergent logs or boulders, where individuals aggregate to bask. They also bask on top of aquatic vegetation. 

In addition to its aquatic habitat, terrestrial habitat is also extremely important for the western pond turtle. Since many intermittent ponds can dry up during summer and fall months along the west coast, especially during times of drought, the western pond turtle can spend upwards of 200 days out of water. Many turtles overwinter outside of the water, during which time they often create their nests for the year. Overwintering sites can sometimes be 500 meters from a main body of water.

The western pond turtle is omnivorous and most of its animal diet includes insects, crayfish, and other aquatic invertebrates. Fish, tadpoles, and frogs are eaten occasionally, and carrion is eaten when available. Plant foods include filamentous algae, lily pads, tule and cattail roots. Juveniles are primarily carnivorous, and eat insects and carrion. At about age three they begin to eat plant matter.

Raccoons, otters, ospreys, and coyotes are the biggest natural threats to this turtle, its eggs, and hatchlings. Weasels and large fish are also known predators. Non-native predators include bullfrogs, crayfish, and opossums.

In the past the turtle was exploited as food by both indigenous peoples and American settlers. After the goldrush in California a large "fishery" emerged processing turtles from the San Francisco Bay Estuary into canned soup for markets East.

Finally, this species is still threatened by humankind. Due to habitat destruction and modification, this species is currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and by Nature Serve. It also faces significant competition from introduced invasive species, especially the red-eared slider. With the removal of ponds, modification of sandy banks needed for egg laying, draining of wetlands, this species is now vulnerable. Efforts at reintroducing this turtle to its native range have met with limited success."

Green Heron (adult) - Butorides virescens

I was only going to feature the birds that were new to this visit, but right away we had an incredible sighting of a gorgeous Green Heron that I had to share with you! They are such handsome birds!

Black-crowned Night-Heron (adult) - Nycticorax nycticorax

We also saw a far away beautiful Black-crowned Night-Heron perched in the tules! I haven't seen one of these for a while!  

The Cornell website birdsoftheworld.org states, 

"Black-crowned Night-Herons are opportunists feeders that eat many kinds of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine animals. Their diet includes leeches, earthworms, insects, crayfish, clams, mussels, fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, rodents, birds, and eggs. They also eat carrion, plant materials, and garbage from landfills. Rather than stabbing their prey, they grasp it in their bills. Black-crowned Night-Herons normally feed between evening and early morning, avoiding competition with other heron species that use the same habitat during the day. They may feed during the day in the breeding season, when they need extra energy for nesting."

Snowy Egrets (adults) - Egretta thula

We spotted this beautiful Snowy Egret hunting in one of the canals! It's yellow lores and black legs with yellow feet, identify it as an adult in its breeding colors. 

Snowy Egrets feed on worms, aquatic and terrestrial insects, crabs, shrimp, prawns, crayfish, snails, fish, frogs, toads, snakes and lizards! They have more foraging methods than any other egret species, including foot-stirring, walking slowly, hovering, striking, and disturb-and-chase. They can live in fresh or salt water wetlands, and probably live year-round in California's Central Valley.

In the 1880's the Snowy Egrets population was in serious decline. Birdsoftheworld.org states, 

"This species was among the most sought-after of all herons and egrets for its delicate, recurved back plumes, used to adorn women's hats. In 1886, plumes were valued at an astounding $32 per ounce, twice the contemporary price of gold . Plundering for plumes began about 1880, peaked in 1903, and continued until 1910, when outraged citizens forced the passage of laws that reduced the slaughter. Hunting continued longer in Central and South America because of continued European demand. The species mounted a remarkable comeback following cessation of the feather trade, even extending its range beyond that of historical record."

Cinnamon Teal (male-female) - Spatula cyanoptera

The male Cinnamon Teal is just gorgeously colored. The female isn't, which is a good strategy if you want to be undetected while on a nest.  These Teals are known to stay year-round in California's Central Valley, or they could also migrate to breeding grounds in the western half of the U.S.  We were lucky to see them this time, as I didn't see any on my previous visit.

White-faced Ibis (adult) - Plegadis chihi

To our delight, last week there were hundreds of White-faced Ibis feeding in the fields! Firstly, we saw the one above all by itself! Rochelle said that he was "pointing the way" to the other ones!!  

White-faced Ibis (adult) - Plegadis chihi

White-faced Ibis have incredibly long, curved bills with which they probe the wetlands for insects, crustaceans, earthworms, and fly larvae.I n the right light you can see the maroons, browns, and greens of their iridescent feathers. Sych beauty!

Sierra Buttes (west side) - 1/19/2025

On January 19, I hiked up to Blue Point on the west side of the Sierra Buttes with my friends Nancy and BJ! It was an incredibly warm and sunny day, and the trail/road was totally snow free!  Pretty unusual for January! I didn't take many photos, but eleven years ago on the same day (!!!) I hiked the same hike with my friends Diane and Linda!  We stayed out until the sunset that day and I got some great photos. So here they are for you to enjoy! If you haven't hiked this trail/road, it's great for spectacular, varying views of the Sierra Buttes!

Sierra Buttes Dusk - 1/19/2014

Sierra Buttes Sunset Colors - 1/19/2014

View west from the road/trail - 1/19/2014

What will the weather bring?

What's happening in my neighborhood?

Check back in two weeks for the answers to these questions and more!

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog every TWO weeks from now on. Check back in two weeks, on February, 15th for my next natural history blog.

Also, check out my latest post on my newly re-opened Damp Earth Blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com